1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of robotics, in particular in connection with the controlled movement of an object, body, piece or the like, and it has as its object a device for holding and for controlled movement of an elongated body in the form of a rod or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are numerous applications in which an object, in particular elongated, is to be moved in a specific and controlled manner by a mechanical device, an electromechanical device, a mechano-pneumatic device or the like, such as a machine, device or instrument, and this in a semi-automatic manner, without direct intervention of a user or operator, though optionally under the monitoring of the latter.
Applications are known in particular in which an elongated body should be moved in translation in its longitudinal direction, for example for the purpose of driving it into another body, optionally by imitating a movement that is conventionally produced by a human operator.
Such is in particular the case for computer-assisted medical actions, for example in percutaneous procedures.
Such operating procedures are often carried out under medical imagery, in particular under CT scan, thus allowing the practitioner to monitor his procedure in real time.
However, during these procedures, the practitioner is repeatedly exposed to harmful radiation, in particular to x-rays whose intensities are further increased in fluoroscopic CAT scanning.
Now, the percutaneous medical procedures under scanner imagery are medical actions that require great precision and simultaneous protection of the patient and the surgeon, whereby these procedures consist in inserting a needle into a target organ to be treated or probed (sampling of tissues, localized injection, destruction of tumors).
There is therefore currently a need and a demand for a controlled needle insertion system.
Such a system should be both accurate and compact because of the low volume available in the CAT scanning or the like, between the chest or the abdomen of the patient and the inside wall of the tunnel of the device.